OMAHA, Neb., January 18, 2012 — According to Leif Magnusson, President of CLAAS of America and Regional Director Americas, “CLAAS has experienced tremendous growth over the last couple of years and similar growth is projected well into the future. To ensure the company is structured to provide the greatest possible support for our dealers and innovative new products for the growers of North America, we’ve expanded and restructured our senior management team.”

To better manage the growth of the company, CLAAS is investing in their North American operations by increasing resources and capacity. To support this growth, CLAAS is expanding their senior management team while also adding new talent in key areas.

Mark Oehmke has joined CLAAS of America as Vice President of Sales. Most recently the Director of Sales, Marketing and Dealer Development at Terrex Road Building, Oehmke was at one time the Senior Sales Director for Case New Holland's construction, agricultural and government accounts. He was also the VP and GM of the Michigan CAT power systems division as well as the Regional Engine and Parts Sales Manager for Caterpillar Inc.

Bob Armstrong has been promoted to Vice President of Product and Marketing for CLAAS of America. He has been with the company for twenty-two years and was instrumental in establishing CLAAS as a market leader in the forage harvester business. He has also made a significant impact on the growth of the LEXION combine harvester business in North America.

Holger Krumel, recently named Executive VP Finance and CFO for CLAAS North America Holding Inc. will be responsible for financial business development, human resources and information technology services in North America.

In addition to the new senior management team, CLAAS has restructured their service organization to improve the support of their North American dealer network and the many growers who purchase their equipment.

According to Craig Hoskinson, North American Service Manager, “We’ve enhanced the service department to make it easier to get the right service specialists wherever they need to be to address any service issues that may arise.”

“We’re excited about the many changes we’ve been able to implement and look forward to augmenting our products and services based on these improvements,” explained Magnusson. “We have a very talented team in place and are prepared for the growth that our company faces. The new structure will help us expand our share in the ever changing agricultural market.”

CLAAS of America Inc. offers a wide variety of technologically innovative hay tool, baler, self-propelled forage harvester and combine harvester products to provide growers optimum performance in the field. These products are designed by a dedicated engineering staff located at numerous worldwide factories focused on the production and design of harvesting equipment. The design, performance and reliability of this equipment have made CLAAS an international market leader. For more information, visit www.claasofamerica.com.